Question

Everybody in a room shakes hands with everybody else. The total number of handshakes in the room is

• A. 9
• B. 12
• C. 16
• D. 14

Hint:

The number of handshakes in a group of \( n \) people is given by \( \binom{n}{2} \).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Using the handshakes formula.
The total number of handshakes in a room with \( n \) people is given by \( \binom{n}{2} \), which is the number of ways to select 2 people from \( n \). For \( n = 12 \), the total number of handshakes is 12.

Step 2: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct answer is option (B).

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{(B) 12}} \]